Pregnancy has me practicing all the self-love tools I learned in my mid-twenties, when I was in the midst of a pretty potent transformation. Transformation is tenuous, ongoing. All the way from birth to death, we’re constantly changing. Sometimes this change is more noticeable. Pregnancy is one of those times. After a recent doctor’s visit… Continue reading Pregnancy: Body Image & Affirmations
How much of writing is re-writing? How much of living is re-living? I sip my coffee. I remember the voice inside of me croaking out; she’s hoarse; she’s deep; she’s poised. I remember shouting for someone to love me. Men. All of them. Love me. I remember this voice changing. Going dark for boys with… Continue reading Your Writing Voice
When the Paris attacks hit—the one that wiped out 130 people and injured more than 350—I read a powerful article. It said: Stop asking kids what they want to be when they grow up. Ask them what problems they’d like to solve. Genius. And timely, I thought. Asking kids what problems they’d like to solve helps remove the narrow expectation… Continue reading Reflections: Paris, Terror, Solutions
Me and Sarah McMullen, learning by being. Rockport, Mass. August 2015. photo by John McMullen edits and text by Amanda Kimmerly
Instead of assuming that all things in life must be achieved through “hard work,” perhaps we imagine for a moment that the work can be easy, is easy, has always been easy.
It’s a critical viewpoint, bordering on cynical, I know. I should be praising these writers who show up to the page for NanoWriMo. Afterall, they’re making progress. They’re committing to their work. But I just can’t ignore that there’s something fundamentally wrong with this approach.
Living in this state of readiness is what I call Creative Mindfulness. You can train yourself to be swept up by any project that inspires you (rather than putting it off for another time, or giving up on it all together). Here’s how.
In Susie Augustin’s book, Sexy, Fit & Fab Sirens, contributing writer Janée Dana asks two important questions when it comes between you and your desired success, “What do I have to lose?” and “Why not me?” “Why not me?” is such a powerful question. Why not me, she asked, in relation to being someone she… Continue reading Unleash Your Magnitude; Inspire.
Today is a good day for acceptance.
Today, I accept myself.
I send this poem out with intense acceptance for myself. I’ve completed it, and therefore, I’ve already won.
subjects: Eliza Smythe Hermosa Beach, California, 2014
Polished Pear Creative Editing 